Foldable strollers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,441 issued to Arai; U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,735 issued to Onishi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,887 issued to Takahashi, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,740 issued to Hartenstine, have an articulated stroller frame that allows the stroller to fold from its use configuration to its collapsed configuration. These strollers include soft goods made of fabric, such as a seat, back support, canopy, storage basket, etc., covering parts of the stroller frame. The back support can be movably configured between a sitting position and a recumbent or lying position. These strollers also have left- and right-side hinge locks, between the respective left- and right-side push arms of the handlebar frame and the left- and right-side rear legs, to maintain the stroller in the operating configuration.
In such strollers, and other foldable strollers, the canopy frame or bow is typically attached to the push arms or the hinge locks. Consequently, the position of the canopy frame, relative to the push arms, remains fixed at all times, between its open position and its closed position. When the stroller is folded, the canopy frame is at its closed position. But since the canopy frame position is fixed relative to the push arms, if a relatively large canopy is used, the canopy frame can protrude beyond the handlebar. Particularly since a larger canopy is desirable to protect infants from exposure to sunlight, the stroller can become bulkier. Accordingly, there is a need for a stroller that can be made more compact, particularly with the use of a larger canopy.
Further, it is desirable for the stroller to have ergonomically correct handlebar, which typically is the cross bar member extending across the push arms, for comfort and control. For added comfort to the caretaker, the handlebar angle can be adjusted relative to the push arms, as disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,835 issued to Huang and U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,805 issued to Wang. Including such an adjustable handlebar, however, makes it more difficult to provide a remote hinge-lock actuator on the handlebar, which typically needs a Bowden cable or similar arrangements to allow for the handlebar to rotate without actuating the hinge locks. In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,718 discloses a simple, cable operated remote hinge-lock actuator positioned adjacent to the handlebar. It would be desirable to incorporate a simple cable-operated remote hinge-lock actuator into the existing structure.
Moreover, it would be desirable for the stroller to carry an infant car carrier. While many different configurations for that purpose have been contemplated, there still remains a need for a stroller that is configured to secure an infant car carrier in two or more reclined or tilted positions.
The present invention addresses these needs.
The present invention is drawn to a stroller. According to one aspect of the present invention, the stroller can have a retractable canopy, which can be accomplished by mounting the canopy frame to a seat support frame or basket frame extending rearwardly beyond the pivoting connection to the stroller rear legs. According to another aspect of the present invention, the stroller can have a remote hinge-lock actuator incorporated into an upper or parent tray formed between its push bar arms. According to another aspect of the present invention, the stroller can have an infant carrier securing mechanism that allows the infant car carrier to be attached to the stroller and provide at least two tilt positions.
A foldable stroller can comprise a foldable stroller frame convertible between an operating position and a folded position. The stroller frame can have front left, front right, rear left, and rear right legs, a handlebar frame pivotally connected to the rear left and right legs, and a seat support frame pivotally connected to the front left and right legs and rear left and right legs. The seat support frame has a portion that pivots downwardly when the frame is folded.
The stroller frame can further include left and right hinge locks fixedly mounted respectively to the rear left and right legs. The ends of the handlebar frame can be pivotally connected to the left and right hinge locks.
The stroller frame can further include a tray assembly comprising a front tray and left and right side arms connected to the front tray. The left and right side arms can be pivotally connected to the handlebar frame. The front and rear left and right legs can be pivotally connected to the left side arm, and the front and rear right legs can be pivotally connected to the right side arm.
The seat support frame can comprise a cross arm and left and right arms extending from the cross arm. The left arm is pivotally connected to the front left leg and the left hinge lock and the right arm is pivotally connected to the front right leg and the right hinge lock.
The push arms can be pivotally connected to the hinge locks. The left push arm and the left arms can be pivotally connected to the left hinge lock about a common axis, and the right push arm and the right arm are pivotally connected to the right hinge lock about a common axis. The left and right arms can extend rearwardly beyond the common axes of the left and right hinge locks. The portion of the seat support frame that pivots downwardly when the frame is folded can include the left and right arms extending beyond the common axes. The cross arm can connect the ends of left and right arms extending beyond the common axes.
The handlebar frame can comprise a handlebar and left and right push arms connected to the handle bar. Specifically, the handlebar can be pivotally connected to the left and right push arms respectively about left and right pivot assemblies. The handlebar can be pivotally movable to reduce the length of the handlebar frame during storage.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a canopy frame can be connected to the portion of the seat support frame that pivots downwardly so that as the stroller frame is folded, the portion of the seat support frame pivoting downwardly pulls the canopy frame downwardly. Specifically, the canopy frame can be pivotally connected to the left and right arms extending beyond the common axes. A portion of the canopy spaced furthest from the pivotal connection to the seat support frame can be positioned below the front tray, and can be positioned between the handlebar frame and the tray when the stroller is folded.
According to another aspect of the invention, the stroller or the stroller frame can include an upper tray mounted to the handlebar frame and a one-hand actuator for unlocking the left and right hinge locks mounted to the upper tray. The upper tray can have at least one container holding compartment and an opening for inserting operator""s fingers. The actuator can be mounted to the underside of the upper tray for a movement between a pushed, actuated position and un-actuated position.
The stroller can further include left and right hinge-lock actuating members movably mounted to the left and right push arms and operatively connected respectively to the left and right hinge locks. The actuator can comprise a handle and left and right linkage assemblies connecting the handle to the left and right actuating members. Each of the left and right linkage assemblies can comprise a substantially U-shaped cross linkage and a push rod connected to the cross linkage. The cross linkage can have first, second, and third arms. The third arm can be pivotally journaled to the underside of the upper tray and join the first and second arms. The first arm can connect to one side of the handle and the second arm can pivotally connect to the push rod, which can connect to the respective left or right actuating member.
According to another aspect of the invention, the stroller can include an infant carrier securing mechanism connected to the handlebar frame, or alternatively, means for mounting an infant carrier in a rearwardly facing direction and providing at least two recline positions. The securing mechanism is adapted to engage front portions of the infant carrier to provide the two recline positions.
The securing mechanism can comprise a plurality of stops movably mounted to the left and right push arms. Each stop can be rotatably mounted between an engage position and a disengage position, which is rotated away from the engage position. There can be a pair of lower stops and a pair of upper stops, respectively mounted rotatably to the left and right push arms. The infant carrier can be adapted to engage the lower stops to provide a first recline position for the infant carrier and can be adapted to engage the upper stops and the lower stops to provide a second reline position, which can be more reclined than the first position.
Another aspect of the invention resides in a method of retracting a canopy of a stroller when it is folded, comprising providing a foldable stroller of the type described above and mounting a canopy frame to the portion of the seat support frame that pivots downwardly so that, as the stroller frame is being folded, the seat support frame pivoting downwardly pulls down the canopy frame.